Press releases

U.S. Embassy Announces 10-Fingerprint Requirement, Visa Fee Increase

December 19, 2007

The U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa announces two important changes in visa processing for persons wishing to travel or migrate to the United States.

Effective immediately, persons wishing to apply for a visitor or immigration visa will have ten fingerprints taken at the Consular section in Kinshasa each time they apply for a visa.  Consul Laurie Meininger explains, “The transition to ten prints will enable the Department of State and Homeland Security to more effectively process and clear visa applicant fingerprints.  Some airports in the United States are already collecting ten prints at the port of entry so many Congolese travelers already have experience with the process.”

The requirements for who must provide fingerprints remain the same.  As before, applicants under 14 or over 79 years of age and medical emergency cases are exempt as are some categories of official and diplomatic visa class. 

The second change, an increase in visa fees, becomes effective January 1, 2008.  Effective that date, the application fee for a non-immigrant (visitor) visa will increase from $100 to $131.  Visa fees to immigrant visas will increase by $20, to $355, also effective January 1, 2008.

Meininger explains, “These fee increases will allow the U.S. Department of State to recover the costs of security and other enhancements to visa processing.    The Department of State bases fees for consular services on the actual costs of providing those services to individuals.  Those costs have risen since the visa application fee was last increased, in 2002.”

Persons with questions about these fees or the fingerprinting should consult the Embassy’s webpage at http://Kinshasa.usembassy.gov or the State Department’s website at http://travel.state.gov.  Phone inquiries may be made by calling the Consular section in Kinshasa at 081 884-6859.